Display rack



March 9, 1954 A. LEVY, JR 2,671,566

DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 2, 19 52 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR March 9, 1954A. LEVY, JR

DISPLAY RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1952 March 9, 1954 A. LEVY,JR 2,671,566

I DISPLAY RACK Filed Jan. 2. 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Z'r'am MSM ATTORNEY5Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED; STATES OFFICE DISPLAY. RACK Abram Levy; Jr., Atlanta, Ga.-

Applicat'ionvl'anuary 2, 1952', Serial'.NiJ. 264",484.

This invention relates to an article display rack.

An object of this invention is to provide an article display rack fordisplaying articles such as swatches or. pieces of fabric;

Another object of this invention is to provide a display rack: of: thiskind which includes; means for removably' mounting the articles in therack". so thatanyselected one or more of the articles? may be. removedor replaced.

A further object of. this invention is to provide a collapsible displayrack with. an improved case-or'coveringfor holding; the rack incollapsed.

carrying, position.

With the above and'other objects in view,. my inventionconsists in thearrangement combinationand details of construction disclosed in the.drawings and; specification, and then more particularly pointed out inthe appendedclaims.

In the drawings;

Figure, 1.. is a. d'etailedside elevation of a. collapsible. displayrack constructed. according to an. embodiment of this invention showingthe rack in a flexible carrying case.

Figure 2' is a detailed end. elevation of'the.

rack in. extended? position.

Figure an a fragmentary front elevation partly Figure- 5-A. is a.fragmentary sectional" View taken on" the line 5A5"-A of Figure 3'.

Figure: dis a fragmentary vertical section" simi lar to Figure 4 showingthe locking means for the. articles. in released position.

Figure 'Tis a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line l -T ofFiguret- FigurezS is a fragmentary front elevationxshowing the": mannerin which. the: articles are removed; from". orv replaced onthe. rack.

Figure 9 is a fragmentaryseetional view taken on; the line. 9-9 ofFigure. 2-.

Figure l.05is a fragmentary-sectional view taken n;the.1ine; I0I0 ofFigure 2..

Figure 11 is a plan view partly broken away of one of the articlesupporting rods.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals l5 and I6 designate generally apair of inverted U-shaped frame members which are hingedly connectedtogether at their upper ends as indicated at 11. The frame members l5and I6 are of similar construction and each frame member is formed of apair of parallel legs l8 con- 2 nected together at their upper ends by aconnectingmember" or bight' [9. The frame members l5 and I3 areoftubular construction and, as herein shown, are substantially squared intransverse section.

Thelower'ends of" legs or vertical frame members it? have cushion feet20 mounted thereon. A flexible webbing 2! is secured between the legs onsides H3 being mounted on upper and lower rods 22 and 23, which arefixed between the sides l8; ThewebbingZl provides a means in the form ofa flexible backing against which the articles; which in the presentinstance are swatches, may rest when the rack is in its open or extendeddisplay position. The inner sides or'walls 24' of each side" member l3are formed with an elongated" slot 25*extending' from a point above thewebbing 2"! to the upper portions of the side members [8.

A plurality of article-supporting rods 26 are slidably andremova'bl'y'mounted within the slots 25". Each" rod '26 is formed after the mannershown inFigure' 11 and includes an elongated straight rod member" formedwith a right angular locking'member 28 atone" end and with a secondright angular locking: member 29 at the opposite end; The rod 21 isformed with an offset 30 disposed substantially midway between theendsof therod; and rod 26 is also formed with a; secondoffset 31 "whichconstitutes a keeper, the purpose forwhich will be hereinafterdescribed.

One or" more swatches or other'articles 32 are adapted to be' mounted oneach rod member 2'6 and" the articles 32* are adapted, when the rackisinits open extended position, to overlap each other: Inorder to'provi'deameans whereby the rods Zc' will be releasably locked between the sidesI B; I have provided a locking bar 33 which is pivotallymounted on -a.ivot bolt 34 disposedibelow the lower. end of one of the-slots- 2.53..Thelccking member: 33; isrformed' of a flat bar: on link: having an.edge. thereof confronting. the concave: side. of the keeper or. ofiset3i, and when.- locking; bar; 33:.is. in: its locking position,the-adjacent on outer. edgeof. bar 33 will be disposed within theconcave cavity of the keeper 3!. The locking member 33 is releasablyheld in a locked or released position by a releasing and locking bar 35which is pivotally mounted on a pivot 36.

A U-shaped locking member 31 is fixed to the bar 35 projecting below thelower end thereof, and a pin 38, which extends between the parallelsides of the locking member 31, engages in an elongated slot 39 formedin the upper end of locking bar 33. A right angularly disposed han le 40projects from the locking member 31 and provides a means whereby thelocking member/31 with the locking bar 35 may be moved to either areleased or a locked position. As shown in Figure 6, the locking bar 35is also formed with an elongated slot 4| through which the pivot member36 loosely engages so that the two fixedly connected together lockingmembers 35 and 31 may be manually moved upwardly to a released position.

A spring 42 is connected between the locking member 35 and the pivotbolt 36 and provides a means whereby the locking members 35 and 31 willbe constantly urged downwardly to a locked position. When the lockingmembers 35 and 31 are in a locked position which is substantially inalignment with the adjacent side member [8 and with the locking bar 33,the inner edge of locking bar 33 will be disposed in contacting relationwith the bight of the Ushaped locking member 31. A U-shaped bail orhandle 43 is secured to one of the sides 18 between the ends thereof andthe bail 43, which has a leather or flexible covering 44 disposedthereabout, is secured to a side l8, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, byextending the bail 43 through aligned openings 45 formed in the side l8and then bending the free end of the bail in substantially U-shape sothat the free end of the bail will overlie the outer side of the sidemember l8. This free end designated 46 is secured to the side [8 bymeans of a fastening member 41. The two frame members 55 and I6 areadapted to be held in upwardly convergent relation, or in a displayposition, by means of pairs of pivotally connected together links 48 and49 which are of conventional construction.

When the rack structure is in a collapsed position with the framemembers l and I6 disposed in substantially parallel position, the rackstructure is adapted to be incased in a flexible covering 59 which, asshown in Figure 1, is open at one end so that the sides or legs l8 maypartially project from the casing. The casing 59 is formed with anopening on one lengthwise edge thereof through which the bails orhandles may project so that the rack may be conveniently carried.

In the use and operation of this rack structure when it is desired todisplay articles carried by either one of the frame members 15 or IS,the rack is set up with the frame members I5 and IS in upwardlyconvergent relation, as shown in Figures 2 and 1. The articles such asswatches or the like may be selectively displayed and when a lowerarticle is to be displayed, the upper articles may be swung over the topof the rack structure by drawing the articles and the supporting bars orrods 26 upwardly to the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. The articlesmay then be draped over the top of the rack structure.

If it is desired to remove any one or more of the articles, the lockingbar 33 is moved to an inner released position by pulling the handle 40upin Figure 6. The selected one or more of the rods 26 may then beremoved from the rack by turning the rod so as to dispose the lockinglugs 28 and 29 in substantial alignment with the slots 25. At this timeone end of the rod 2 5 may be raised upwardly until such end is movedout of the slot 25.

The rack structure herein disclosed Will provide a convenient, compactand light-weight display wardly and at the same time swinging thelocking members 35 and 31 inwardly to the position shown means forarticles such as swatches or flexible samples which will be maintainedin a neat condition and will not become wrinkled or the like when therack structure is in a collapsed carrying position. While I have shownthe frame members [5 and I6 as being formed out of polygonal tubularmaterial such as aluminum or the like, it will be understood that theseframe mem bers may be formed out of tubular material of any desiredcross-sectional configuration.

What is claimed is:

1. A display rack comprising a pair of inverted U-shaped frame members,hinge means pivotally connecting the bights of said members together, awebbing secured between the sides of each member, said sides havingconfronting longitudinal slots extending above said webbing, a pluralityof article supporting bars extending between said sides and engaging insaid slots, each bar having a right angular projection at each endthereof, an offset keeper carried by each bar adjacent one end thereof,a locking bar pivotally secured at one end to one of said sides andadapted to engage in a keeper when said locking bar is in lockedposition, and spring-pressed latching means for holding said locking barin locked position.

2. A display rack comprising a pair of inverted U-shaped frame members,hinge means pivotally connecting the bights of said members together, awebbing secured between the sides of each member, said sides havingconfronting longitudinal slots extending above said webbing, a pluralityof article supporting bars extending between said sides and engaging insaid slots, each bar having a right angular projection at each endthereof, an offset keeper carried by each bar adjacent one end thereof,an offset member disposed medially between the ends of each supportingbar providing means for manually turning each bar to dispose theprojections in registry with said slots, a locking bar pivotally securedat one end to one of said sides and adapted to engage in a keeper whensaid locking bar is in locked position, and spring-pressed latchingmeans for holding said locking bar in locked position.

ABRAM LEVY, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 538,621 Neilson Apr, 30, 1895 1,000,896 Cohen Aug. 15, 19111,250,255 Wardrop Dec. 18, 1917 1,803,823 Wittenmyer May 5, 19312,019,090 Pepper Oct. 29, 1935 2,350,754 Guichard June 6, 1944

